River Lady Read online

  “You know how this custom started, don’t you? The Romans captured their brides and had to forcefully carry them into their houses. Are you a reluctant bride, Leah? Am I going to have to drag you into my bed tonight?”

  She took him seriously. “I’m afraid not. When it comes to…that, I don’t seem to have much resistance.”

  With a chuckle he kissed her long and lingeringly as he carried her inside the house. Still holding her, he seemed to be wanting some reaction from her.

  To Leah, the cabin was very nice. It was large with simple, plain furniture, glass windows, a big stone fireplace, a hallway to the left, and her beautiful loom set not far from the fireplace.

  “Bedroom?” she asked, nodding toward the hallway.

  “With a great big featherbed. No expense has been spared when it comes to that room.”

  She smiled up at him. “It’s a very nice house. I like it very much.”

  “You’re not disappointed that it isn’t like Travis’s house?”

  “No,” she said honestly. “I was born in a swamp and this house suits me better than that mansion of Regan’s.”

  “Mmm,” he said, frowning. “I’m not sure I like my house being compared to a swamp.”

  Before she could answer he kissed her again, then set her down. “I’ll have to go see about my foal. Anything you need, tell Oliver or, if you must, go to the twins. I’ll have to double their work load to keep them away from you. Trouble is, they pretend to be each other and I never know who’s working and who’s not. See you later.”

  With that he was out the door.

  As she looked about the place realizing it was hers, Leah told herself everything was going to be all right. Wesley would grow to love her because she was going to be a good wife to him, Kimberly would have no power over him, and everyone everywhere was going to live happily ever after.

  With a smile she set about making the cabin more completely hers. It was larger and far cleaner than the shack in which she’d grown up with her enormous family.

  In the bedroom were her trunks of clothes that Nicole had given her. Pulling a gown of lavender silk from the trunk, her rough hands caught on the fine fabric.

  “First things first,” she said aloud. Before a clean house and food on the table, Wesley would come home to a sweet-smelling wife with creamed, perfumed skin. In the kitchen she began searching for the ingredients for the creams and lotions Regan and Nicole had taught her to make.

  It was hours later when her skin and hair seemed to be somewhat restored after the time in the forest. The roughness and redness of her hands were gone and her hair was gleaming in soft waves as she sat on a stool before the fireplace to dry it. It was nearly sundown, there was no meal prepared, and she hoped Wesley wouldn’t be angry. To encourage his good humor, she wore a semitransparent dressing gown without a stitch on under it.

  When Wesley walked in the door he paused, hat in hand, and stared at her. The firelight showing through her gown made her look as if she had a delicate layer of fairy cloth over her beautiful body.

  Unnoticed, his hat fell to the floor as he advanced toward her and pulled her into his arms, her thick hair tangling around his forearms.

  “I didn’t cook anything,” she whispered as his lips descended.

  “And I don’t plan to wash,” he replied. “If you can overlook me, I’ll forgive you.”

  He kissed her then, pulling her to him as if he were starving.

  Leah clung to him. He’d been working in the fields and his clothes were damp with sweat, his hair curling about his neck. Her fingers went up his neck to intertwine in the curls.

  Wesley began to kiss her throat as his hands ran over her arms. Her body was hot from being near the fire and with his sweat and her heat, they nearly sizzled upon touching.

  Wesley swept her into his arms, carried her into the bedroom, and carefully laid her on the featherbed.

  “Take that off,” he commanded in a low, husky whisper as he stood back from her.

  The fading sunlight streamed through the single window, making a golden haze of light in which Leah knelt on the bed, the deep mattress fluffing about her. Slowly she undid the little silk ties that held the gossamer garment together. Then, raising her head to meet his eyes, she languidly slid the silk off her shoulders but managed to keep most of her body hidden. For a moment she held it in front of her, concealing herself from him.

  “And now you,” she murmured, toying with the silk.

  With a crooked grin, Wesley stripped himself of every stitch of his work clothes, flung them to a corner, and made a leap for her.

  Leah, not expecting this sort of exuberance, squealed and rolled out of his way. The silk gown stayed on the bed, caught underneath Wesley.

  “Pretty little thing,” he said as he pulled it from under him, then tossed it to the floor. “Come here,” he commanded.

  Leah stayed against the wall, her arms held demurely so most of her was covered.

  “No,” she said easily. “I worked all day on smelling good and now you expect me to roll around with some sweaty, unclean man. Ladies don’t—.”

  He caught her ankle, pulled her down into the bed, and dragged her toward him. “I guess we’ll just have to make you smell a little less sweet.” With that he pushed her down into the feather mattress and covered her clean body with his dirty one, rubbing against her, smearing her with his sweat.

  “Wesley!” Leah gasped, and she knew nothing had ever felt as good as this man. “Wesley,” she said again, her eyes shut.

  He smiled at her then and began to kiss her body, starting at her neck, his lips grazing her breasts, moving down to her stomach, his big hands toying with the muscles by her hipbones, his tongue licking around her navel. His hands parted her thighs, rubbing the inner recesses as his lips followed his hands.

  Working his way downward, he reached her feet and with his tongue caressed the little pads of her toes.

  Leah was almost crying with desire by the time he made his way up her body again. He hovered over her lips for just a moment.

  “Is the answer still no?”

  “No,” she murmured, then her eyes flew open. “I mean yes. Oh Wesley.” She sighed and pulled him closer as her legs began to rub up and down his.

  He made love to her with tenderness, so slowly she was frantic for him when he finally pulled her to him and with hard thrusts brought them both to a peak of ecstasy.

  They lay together, wrapped about each other, their skin sticky and wet.

  “You planning to feed me?” Wesley murmured against her shoulder.

  With a laugh, Leah pushed at him. “I guess the honeymoon is over. But first we wash.”

  As he rolled off her, Wesley sniffed. “You should wash. You smell like you’ve been out in the fields all day.”

  “You!” she exclaimed, starting to pummel his chest.

  “I sure do love the way you bounce, Leah. Now stop trying to entice me and go fix me something to eat.”

  “And if I don’t?” she challenged.

  “I’ll do something else with that bare little bottom of yours, such as smack it.” His threat lost meaning as he began to kiss her, and she snuggled against him.

  A loud knock on the door made her pull away. “Who do you think that is?”

  “Probably Bud and Cal. Seems you promised to cook for them.”

  “When? Oh yes, when they were going to take me back to Revis’s cabin. But tonight I haven’t cooked anything.”

  Wesley moved to the side of the bed. “I’m sure that if you just explain to them that you spent the day making yourself pretty in order to seduce me, they’ll understand.”

  “I could tell them I dumped dinner over your head. They’d understand that even more.”

  The knock sounded again.

  “Come on, get dressed,” Wes said as he pulled on his pants. “You can fry up half a hog and that’ll do fine. You know, I think I like making love to you in a bed.” With that he left the room and momen